Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google Ads is testing new labels on sponsored results named Strongest match and Strong match. Google Ads will soon allow some final URLs to redirect to a different domain name. Google Local Services Ads added more details to broad search in its help documents. Google Merchant Center explains how to remove and prevent Found by Google products from going in your feed. Google Ads gains new columns for unique search categories with clicks, conversions and impressions. Google Ads is rolling out a new section under the Conversions section labeled "Shop diagnostics." Google is making a change to how it reports on the Multiplex ads units.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google Ads Tests Strongest & Strong Match Labels On Sponsored Results
Google has confirmed it is rolling out a limited test in the search results to add labels to the sponsored results. The labels will say "Strongest match" and "Strong match," which represent how relevant those specific ads are to the query. -
Google Ads Will Soon Allow Some Final URLs To Redirect To A Different Domain
Google is updating its Google Ads Destination Mismatch policy in early July 2026 to allow the final URL to redirect to a different domain in some cases, with prior approval from Google. This was previously not allowed, as ads generally should take you to the final destination URL, but in some cases, Google Ads will allow it. -
Google Local Services Ads Broad Search Details Added To Help Doc
Google added a lot more detail to a Google help document on using broad search for Local Services Ads. Google added a section on the setting, how to disable broad search, how to view leads from broad search, some nuances and how to target multiple verticals. -
Google Merchant Center: How To Remove Found By Google Products
Google published new ways to remove and prevent Google Merchant Center from showing products "Found by Google" in your product feed. This is when Google finds products on your site by crawling your site, not through your feed. -
Google Ads: Unique Search Categories With Clicks, Conversions & Impressions
Google Ads is rolling out new data columns that show unique search categories with clicks, conversions and impressions. This is different from just the clicks column, which is also available in this report. -
Google Ads Shop Diagnostics: Shop Sales Eligibility
Google Ads is rolling out a new section under the Conversions section labeled "Shop diagnostics." It says, "This report helps diagnose shop sales reporting and optimization eligibility." -
Google AdSense Multiplex Ads Changes Ad Request Reporting
Google is making a change to how it reports on the Multiplex ads units, where starting on June 23, 2026 where Google will report every ad in the grid as its own ad request. Previously, ads in a Multiplex ad unit are counted as one ad request with multiple impressions for each slot within the grid. -
Google Clay Model Workshop - Owl?
Here is a photo of a Googler's clay model, I think it is an owl? In any event, I found it in a video posted on Instagram from the Google offices in India.
Other Great Search Threads:
- Sergey Brin’s journey to Google began long before Silicon Valley. The Russia-born entrepreneur arrived in the U.S. at age 6 with his family as Soviet refugees escaping the persecution of Jews. Today, he is featured on the #Forbes250 America’s Most Successful Living Immigrants, Forbes on X
- I'm reading @metehan777's post about Reddit AI translations in AI Search like ChatGPT and how that dropped heavily recently. I have covered how those AI translations have boomed in Google over the past year or two via a three-part series. Well, seeing them drop in ChatGPT had, Glenn Gabe on X
- Every search result ChatGPT retrieves contains a hidden field called "result_source". It's never shown to users and isn't documented anywhere., Mark Williams-Cook on LinkedIn
- Great to have our Superintelligence team meetup in Boston last week. Building AI takes a real team of passionate and driven folks. There's no substitute for getting face time with everyone all at once… the conversations are richer, the collaborations are stronger, and the, Mustafa Suleyman on X
- Noticing some small but clean UI updates in the GBP dashboard. Highlighted alert banners look much cleaner now and when adding a category, there's a support doc link right there inline. Google quietly polishing things, Syed M. Amir Hassan on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google updates AI Max reporting guidance and DSA transition plans
- Cloudflare and beehiiv give publishers new AI crawler controls
- Shopify launches AI-powered marketing automation tool
- Straight from the source: 2026 Search Engine Land Awards judges reveal what makes an application award-worthy
- YouTube rolls out new Gemini-powered insights tools
- How to make Performance Max focus on net new customers
- How to approach build-versus-buy decisions for SEO
- Google Search Console AI performance reports rolling out to more users
- Why some channels reward breadth and others require commitment
- Amazon launches Alexa+ Agentic Ads
- An open letter to everyone hiring a search leader
- Google expands financial services ad verification across 24 European markets
Other Great Search Stories:
AI & LLMs
- Playing the hand you're dealt: Takeaways from our AI search roundtable, Oncrawl
- Translated Reddit Is Winning AI Citations, Peec AI
Analytics
- Improved Measurement of Server-to-Server Conversions, PPC News Feed
Industry & Business
- Google CEO says AI has changed revenue picture completely, Yahoo
- Google Says Shopping Search Remedy Ended Antitrust Abuse, Law360
- Google’s online dominance is showing signs of cracking in AI era, CNBC
- See How Sam Altman’s Personal Investments Benefit From Ties to OpenAI, Wall Street Journal
- Alphabet added to Dow Jones Industrial Average, replacing Verizon, CNBC
- Google Taps Employee Alumni Network With AI Startup Incubator, Bloomberg
Links & Content Marketing
- The Cannes Lions Lesson Every Creative AI Initiative Needs, Content Marketing Institute
- SparkToro's MCP Server is Now Live — Connect Audience Research Directly to Your Favorite AI Tool, SparkToro
Local & Maps
- Where we’re going, there are no Maps, Six Colors
- How To Avoid Toll Roads On Apple Maps (And Why You Might Want To), Yahoo
Other Search
PPC
- Gmail Ads Move to the Bottom of Promotions and Social Tabs, PPC News Feed
- The Hidden Audience: Why Your PPC Now Has to Sell to an AI Agent, JumpFly
- At Its First-Ever Cannes, OpenAI Says ‘We Are Clearly In The Advertising Business Now’, AdExchanger
- Google Ads Tracking in 2026: The 5 Things Every Advertiser Needs to Get Right, PPC Hero
- YouTube’s new ad tools support creative ad campaigns, Google Blog
Search Features
- Chrome and Wallet bring advanced autofill to your phone, Google Blog
- Google announces Summergeist 2026: a report on the hottest summer trends, Google Blog
SEO
- Hackers Use SEO Poisoning and Fake Ads to Push Victims Into Malicious TDS Redirects, Cyber Press
- Ask a News SEO: USA Today’s Michael Hastings, SEO For Journalism
- Average Organic Traffic Benchmarks From Real Websites (June 2026), Ahrefs
- People Inc. CEO accuses Google of abusing its market power, Axios
- What Is a 301 Redirect? How To Do a 301 Redirect, Bruce Clay
- 2026 "Confidence Score" Leaked in Google Gemini Answers, Hobo
- Reddit, #1 Source of Truth for Google, and LLMs, + What Should Business Do?, Ann Smarty
- Using SEO to Correct How LLMs Describe Your Brand, Joe Hall
Feedback:
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